ABOUT ME

During Justin Trudeau's visit to Dublin in 2017, I was the Irish Government's official photographer and took this image of the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar jogging with Trudeau in Phoenix park, which was published in multiple newspapers in Ireland and internationally.

My name is Sascha O'Toole, a journalist, photographer and public policy analyst.

In almost a decade of work across the media, communications and public policy I have learned to embrace and draw on the versatility of my experience to get results. It is this versatility that allows me to assess projects from different points of view, and to identify and work with diverse stakeholders across industry and the public sector.

Some highlights to know about me:

I trained as a journalist at DIT, and studied abroad in Paris at the Institut Pratique de Journalisme as part of my degree. Recording vox pops on the streets of Paris in my first week was a bit of a baptism of fire but it was just the beginning!
I worked in local radio and was a freelance reporter for the Evening Herald.
I was hired by the Department of the Taoiseach to join the team setting up the Government's first news website and social media accounts. For six years I developed these services and created and managed photography and video content. I also hosted the first live Twitter Q&A session with a senior Irish Government Minister in 2013. Getting buy in for this at a time when social media was viewed with suspicion formed a good foundation for me in bringing stakeholders on board for any project.
Some of my photography has been published on the front pages of several national newspapers, including the Irish Times, Irish Examiner and Irish Independent, as well as internationally. You can see examples on this site.
I have worked as a policy analyst in the Economic Division of the Department of the Taoiseach for two years now, following a promotion. I have successfully run two public consultation processes, and delivered successful communications strategies for both. Bringing all of my skills and experience to bear on this is what brought me the best results, and I'm always looking for opportunities to add to my skill set.

My hobbies include:

Photography (In addition to my professional work, I spend much of my spare time pursuing personal photography projects, in particular in relation to underwater photography and wildlife photography).
Scuba diving (I'm certified to PADI Advanced level with plans to qualify as a Divemaster)
Playing guitar, piano and traditional & classical flute (all of which I have played in various groups and orchestras for over 20 years)
Running
Travelling
Reading

Photography

You can see a selection of photography I've taken over the years as part of my job with the Government Press Office below.

Videography

You can see a few video projects I've worked on both professionally and as part of my courses in NCAD and DBS below.

5 Things You Didn't Know About Government Buildings

This was a short feature I pitched to the Head of Communications during my time with the Government Press Office. The goal was to provide content for the Government website that wasn't dependent on an actual Government being in place, as there was a general election looming. I planned, shot, and edited it.

Persistance Of Memory

This was my final project for my Photography & Digital Imaging Certificate at the National College of Art & Design. It is dedicated to the memory of my grandfather, and inspired by the desire to preserve his memory. It formed the main part of a multimedia display that included three framed prints from the series at the 2014 NCAD Graduate Student Exhibition.

Are We Killing Music?

This short documentary was my final project in my Diploma in Video Production at Dublin Business School in 2013.